As we packed up our rain-drenched camp, Bear and I were sore and tired, not looking forward to 3 hours in the car to get home. As we loaded the last few items and tied down the tarp, our friend Adam made our day by inviting us to his place to rest our bones on his squishy couch and have a cold drink or two before heading home. We were delighted to accept.

Adam and Joy live on Bribie Island, a jewel of a spot only a few minutes down the road from where we were camping. We were welcomed with hugs and set down under a fan and served iced tea and it was all so wonderful after such a gong show of a night. We chatted and laughed and looked at Adam’s new sword and before long all the stresses of collapsed tent and soggy gear were gone.

And suddenly we realized we were ravenous.

So off we went to the Bribie Island Surf Club for some lunch. We got a table overlooking the ocean and basked in sea breezes and ice cold ciders. We shared a hot, buttery, garlicky damper (an Aussie style of bread) then tucked into all sorts of good things: towering burgers, salmon and mashed potatoes, chicken Parmesan.

Bear surprised us at the end with a fabulous cheese platter and we tasted and savored our way through until we couldn’t eat another bite.

With our spirits and bodies restored, we got back in the car and Joy took us to the beach.

With hot sun and salty breezes, I couldn’t imagine a better place to unwind.

I could’ve stayed there for hours, perched on a sand dune, mesmerized by crashing waves and swooping birds.

One of my favorite things about Bribie Island is how wild and natural it feels. While there must be some crowded areas, Bear and I have never experienced them. Even on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, there was hardly a soul to be seen. That’s my kind of beach.

We got back in the car, windswept and salt-tinged, happy and peaceful, our good spirits restored. While our medieval camping trip didn’t turn out as we’d hoped, it ended even better than we could’ve planned.

xo